Sunday, August 8, 2010

Endurance question

Last post for now, I promise.

I'm definitely doing Comstock on October 2. It's a no-brainer, ridecamp out of the LV arena two miles from Where Dixie Stay At and The House. I am pretty sure she could do the 50 - she had a ton of gas in the tank after the 30 at Moonshine.

I'd love to finish up our season and give myself a badass birthday present with Patriot's Day Lake Almanor. That one's not a cinch, though - it depends on me getting a trailer, which is extremely likely but not quite in the bag.

Am I asking too much? I am sure she could do the 25 Comstock and the 25 Almanor 4 weeks apart. Could she do two 50s four weeks apart? Should I do 25 at Comstock then 50 at Almanor? Or maybe the other way around, because Almanor is hillier - do 50 Comstock then back to a 25 at Almanor?

I know that with endurance the answer is always "it depends on the horse," but I don't know if I'm asking realistic questions. Would you take a well-conditioned mature mare in her first ride season to two 50s four weeks apart?

15 comments:

  1. Usually I would pepper this staements with "it
    depends" etc etc but as I am tired and a wee bit grumpy how I just give my opinion?

    Do the 25 at comstock an the 50 at patriots. Don't attempt two 50s four weeks apart for the horses first and second 50s has been my experience, especially with my non Arab. Farley had several strong LDs going into her first 50 (the last one 4 weeks prior to 50) and even though I chose an easy 50 I was still a bit supriaed how tired she was at the end.

    But hey-you are probably better at this than I was, I made more mistakes than I care ti remeber in that first season or two!

    Btw I'm thinking about comstock and patriots too....is comstock a fairly east course?

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  2. Yeah, it should be pretty easy. Look at my Garmin for Moonshine - it'll be similar. The hills rise 1000' above the flats at the most, and it's good footing. Mostly sand trails, but up in the hills it's rocky. I'd boot just to be safe but I ride around there barefoot at speed all the time. I guess the only things that might make it hard are the base elevation (5000') and the total lack of anything resembling shade.

    How's Patriot's?

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  3. I would also suggest what melinda said, the 25 at comstock and the 50 at patriots. Comstock will serve as a "warm up" for Patriots... Plus i am going to be trying to do the LD at comstock with Bo :) and if i do end up getting to ride the 75 at patriots on the horse i was telling you about yesterday, you'd be welcome to put dixie in my trailer, but patriots is kinda far out and the horse has two 50's before patriots so as long as thong go okay their i'm pretty sure he will be going to patriots with me...

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  4. funder - ignore my e-mail as you already answered my question.....

    OK - so now I HAVE to do comstock and patriots. You AND zach will be there :)

    Not sure about the Patriot course. Could be a bit chilly that time of year up there, but it shouldn't rain (unless we get another year like this one, which is highly inprobable....I hope). I think the 09 national was held there and I heard that it's absolutely gorgeous.

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  5. I've done both and both are very moderate rides. Actually, the Oct Almanor ride isn't out of the same camp, so it will be a bit different, but the trails are going to be very similar from what I've heard. Personally, I think that you and Dixie would be just fine to do a 50 at both rides. They're four weeks apart, and Comstock is just a bit harder than Moonshine (not by much). I'm thinking of doing the same thing with Diego. The one thing I'd recommend, and that I'm going to try to do myself, is to make sure you get in a few ~20 mile rides between now and Comstock, aim for two a month (so 4 total). Then there's really no point in doing an LD at Comstock, and if she gets through Comstock well (which you guys will), then you can make your decision on Almanor when that one comes up.

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  6. OMG, C, you gave me an awesome idea. I have talked my husband into meeting me at that cow pond just north of the HV community with a bag of hay and a tupperware tub full of water (in case the pond's dry). If I loop around by the dry lake then head up to HV, that'll be 10 miles out. She can take a break and nosh some hay and I can sit down and eat a snack, then we'll head back. 20 miles in the desert no stopping is so daunting alone, but 10 miles and a break then 10 miles back? Cake!

    I know what I'm doing this weekend!

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  7. It all sounds so good to me! >g<

    You do always have the option of doing the 50 at Comstock and then doing whatever seems appropriate at Patriots.

    Yes?

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  8. 4 weeks apart? Go for it. Do the 50, then see how the pony looks 4 weeks later.

    Hanks first ride was a 50 on the long XP in 2004, then a week later, another 50, and a week later, another 50. Little brat was dumping me doing stupid stuff, so I handed him to Dave Rabe, and said " Have fun". Best thing I ever did. Your horse is fit and ready to go, with some experiance, yes??? Do a 50!

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  9. Funder, was it you who wrote about barefoot shoes for humans? I've been looking through your old posts and can't find it, so maybe it wasn't you. If it was, do you remember which post it was in?

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  10. I think I will stick with the 50 at Comstock and not decide about Almanor til right before it. We'll do what's fun and what's best for her. :) txtrigger - thanks for sharing Hank's early schedule!

    Terry, I think I mentioned barefoot shoes for humans, but it's Andrea who has tried them out and loves them. I think padded hiking boots plus padded stirrups is exacerbating my knee problems on rides, but (as usual) I haven't managed to change anything out. I know Andrea's been running in Vibram Five Fingers and she adores them. Does that help?

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  11. Thanks, Funder. That's exactly what I was looking for.

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  12. it's too late but i wanted to vote "conservative" on this, since it's her first year.

    and it's nice once they figure out how long a 50 is, and they expect it, and enjoy it. my mare would always pace herself and gradually build speed.

    gaining speed along the ride (without asking) was awesome, cuz the mare always saved herself for the end.

    she could walk out of camp western pleasure slow, head down, and then wait for me to say "ok go."

    she had an amazing work ethic. now she's teaching kids to ride. wish i had her here.

    ~lytha

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  13. I say, do the 50 at Comstock, see how it goes, and if good, then do the 50 at the Patriots Day. 4 weeks apart shouldn't make a difference if she handles the first 50 well.
    - The Equestrian Vagabond

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